RUSH: Well, the retail season is off to a solid start, folks — damn it, as far as the Drive-Bys concerned. ‘Holiday sales are off to a strong start, according to data from SpendingPulse released today. This erases concerns about a possible sharp pull-back in consumer spending.’ Who had these concerns? Nobody had these concerns except the Drive-By Media. Easing concerns? ‘Sales, excluding cars, rose eight tenth of a percent in November, following October’s anemic two-tenths of a percent increase. The US economy has slowed considerably in the fourth quarter, economists say, but consumer spending as held up relatively well. Many fear that the combination of a housing downturn and a credit crisis could compromise this –‘ (laughing) They’re just praying, and here’s why. Let’s go back to this program and me, November 21st, said I on this program.
RUSH ARCHIVE: People in surveys say their personal economic situation is good, but they’re worried about their neighbor. Next year, Iraq as an election issue is going to be off the table and the Democrats and the media, who have been ignoring a good economy for the last seven years, are all of a sudden going to start focusing on the bad economy, because they are going to realize if they can convince enough people that the future is grim and bleak because of Bush’s tax cuts, or because of Bush’s policies, anything they can do to get Hillary or a Democrat elected.
RUSH: Yes, ‘many fear the combination of housing downturns and credit crises could compromise the key engine of US growth, consumer spending.’ So I predicted to you, they’re going to start doing this, focusing on the economy, Iraq off the table. Listen to this, ABC’s World News Tonight, Charlie Gibson had this exchange with George Stephanopoulos.
GIBSON: One of the other things about this poll, George, that interested me, Iraq has been the issue that concerned Americans most, but not so this time.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Not anymore. For the first time, Charlie, Americans now say the economy is their number one issue. It’s up 15% in a month, as the news has gotten better out of Iraq, that’s starting to recede, it’s dropped eight points and Americans are worried about the economy right now. That issue is turning out to be number one going into next year.
RUSH: Good grief, do I know these people or do I know these people? Oh, this is exhilarating. If they would just listen to me once in a while, they would get a clue as to what not to do and maybe straighten up. They just fall right into my — I’m not like a trap for them, but I know exactly what they’re going to do, because, look, the Drive-By Media is just an extension of the Democrat National Committee.